I’m currently making my way through Michael Pollan’s latest book, Cooked, as he explores the 4 basic elements (fire, water, air, earth) that humans utilize when cooking in order to nourish themselves. I find myself particularly inspired by something he says toward the end of the water section:

“…the opportunity to work with my hands – with all my senses, in fact – is always a welcome change of pace, whether in the kitchen or in the garden. There’s something about such work that seems to alter the experience of time, helps me to reoccupy the present tense. I don’t want you to get the idea it’s made a Buddhist of me, but in the kitchen, maybe a little bit. When stirring the pot, just stir the pot…. Unitasking.”

But it spoke to me because my head was still spinning from yesterday’s conference call where I was trying to talk about the importance of social media to engage (my work) community, only to be told several times that this or that was against policy, and that I couldn’t use images or connect with certain people and there’s this policy, etc. When I finally suggested that it would be more helpful to tell me what I could do, I got my own words spun back at me, but nothing more. Essentially, I was speaking to people who do not exist in our current social society.

Which made this Dilbert cartoon that a colleague had given me several years ago resonate even more – even though my name isn’t Beth, and the person who kept telling me everything was against policy is named Beth…

I digress.

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I decided to practice being present by baking, which is always good for my soul. I wanted to try a recipe for chocolate zucchini bread – as I’ve been intrigued by the combination since I found Clotilde and her blog, Chocolate & Zucchini. Just try to look at her site and not get sucked in for hours dreaming of future meals… But this recipe did not come from Clotilde but instead from (gasp) Better Homes & Gardens. Yet another sign that I’m becoming old.

And so I measured and chopped and shredded and mixed. Everything went according to plan (meaning, according to the recipe) and out of the oven came 3 gorgeous little loaves. And then I went to melt the chocolate to drizzle on top of the loaves. I was obviously no longer present, as I put chocolate in a pan, over high heat, and left the room.

I worked all afternoon to get the smell of burnt chocolate out of the house.

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Inspired by the idea of going to Hudson Food Studio tonight, but then too lazy to go, I decided it had to be summer rolls for dinner.

they did not actually look this green in real life

I’ve decided the whole purpose of summer rolls is really just to serve as a conveyance for peanut sauce. Yum. There are a million recipes out there (I seem to have half of them on one of my Pinterest boards) but I used this recipe as a loose (very loose) guideline. I used tamari in my peanut sauce because that’s what I had, but I would suggest using a low sodium soy sauce instead. I thought I wouldn’t be able to find rice paper in our little town, but Olde Hudson has that as well as a number of other Asian cooking necessities. And you can find all the vegetables you need at the Hudson Farmers’ Market. Or, you could just go to Hudson Food Studio and have a tasty meal prepared by someone else.

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I’m not sure that I’m feeling any more centered. I may have to try more baking tomorrow.

That’s my only attempt at an excuse for not writing for so long. Well, the brain has been fried by the heat of summer, and huge upcoming life changes and watching the veeeeeeeery slow progress as my house moves from a peely-paint house to a lovely crisp clean abode. It’s such an improvement that my electrician says that it will raise the assessments for the entire neighborhood. Sorry neighbors!

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I intended to have a garden… However, my harvest this year was garlic scapes. And I cut those too late, leading to my second harvest, the tiniest heads of garlic I’ve ever seen. I’ve got them curing in the basement, but I have a feeling I will be buying garlic from the farmers’ market…

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I’ve visited a couple of restaurants in the attempt to escape our very un-air-conditioned house.

I love going to Bonfiglio & Bread for mushroom toast or the poached egg bowl (how do you describe it?) for breakfast, and even on days where the breakfast chef isn’t there, the kouign-ammans are de-lish. I’ll be there when they open up again on Saturday the 17th. I hope they’re poaching eggs that day. Relish Hudson is also a great option for breakfast – really nice egg sandwich variations. And I love sitting in the window on a quiet morning, gazing at our cute Amtrak station.

The Hudson Food Studio is our newest option for dinner and really helps round out the cuisine available in town. Sam Pratt wrote a nice review of the place here.

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Many days I have no desire to prepare food (what?) and if it’s super hot, it’s ice cream for dinner. Lick has saved me from a melt-down more than once. One of my new favorite desserts does take some cooking (baking the crust and making the blueberry sauce on the stove top – best done earlier in the day), but this blueberry ice-cream pie will make anyone happy. I found the recipe while searching for gluten-free recipes when a dear friend was coming to visit, and I halved the sugar called for in the recipe to make it more friendly for those who watch their sugar intake. It’s just delicious. And who doesn’t need ice-cream pie?

For the most part I’ve been enjoying the bounty of our season and very often don’t do more than wash, peel (if necessary), cut up and eat. This weekend, however, I found myself with a load of blueberries along with a half of a cantaloupe, and then I bought a couple of pounds of doughnut peaches and plums. Too much goodness! I solved this (partially) by attempting a recipe for blueberry refrigerator jam – success! If you’re not into canning, and I’m not, this is a jam for you. So is David Lebovitz’s No Recipe Cherry Jam which I’ve made numerous times. And I haven’t tried this recipe yet but it looks just as easy: Triple berry quick jam.

Dinner the past two nights has been corn on the cob, just barely boiled, plus some of the above-mentioned fruit. Don’t you love corn season? Maybe I’ll have the desire to cook something a little more elaborate next weekend – but I’m not complaining if I have to eat more corn.

Since I’m just back from vacation, I’m happy to be back in my kitchen. However, I’ve been reading (a lot) about a particular eating space that has just opened up… and as soon as I wish to splash out a little, I know where I want to go.

This weekend (meaning Saturday 4/27) check out the “Colossal Cookbook Sale” at the Library, from 10am – 2pm. Here are my treasures:

Because I needed more cookbooks… And just in case my to-read pile wasn’t big enough, I got my hands on the last copy at Tractor Supply of this beauty:

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If you get a chance to eat out this weekend, note that 3FortySeven Warren Street is opening up (sans Tortillaville until May). I can’t wait until BackBar becomes official…

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Next weekend is a big food weekend here in Hudson NY.

The Hudson Farmers’ Market is back outdoors starting Saturday May 4th, 9am – 1pm at Columbia and North 6th Street. It’s been great to watch it expand over the years – it makes me happy.

The 3rd Annual Ramp Fest Hudson happens at the Basilica on Saturday, May 4th, 12 – 4pm. Get there early. Remember that my loss (I’m out-of-town) is your gain (there will be more to eat). Be nice to the photographer Smith.

AND there will be a wine AND chocolate tasting at Verdigris. In our town of yummy options, Verdigris is a haven filled with treats of all sorts. The question for me -always- is where do I begin?

You have one week to build your endurance for this food-filled weekend!

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Now, can anyone tell me what this crazy van on North 6th Street is about???

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I’m off for a couple of weeks to the land of palm trees and hummus. No worries – I will continue to eat well…

The 3rd Annual Ramp Fest is happening Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 12 – 4pm. Chefs from Hudson, the Hudson Valley and NYC will participate by making all sorts of lovely tastes featuring ramps. Don’t be crazy and show up at 3pm – you will not eat. I am devastated that I will be out-of-town that day. Since at the previous two fests I seemed to try everything at least twice, that means that there is more food for you.

sigh.

I will have to do my own foraging. I once thought I had found *a* ramp under a tree in our yard – but I am quite sure that whatever I found was not edible. We can usually find ramps at the Hudson Farmers’ Market, but they’re not out yet (it’s too cold). However, I consistently find dandelion greens in my ever-so-organic lawn (meaning, I don’t do anything more than mow it). Last year I tossed dandelion greens with a simple vinaigrette and it made a great crostini.

This year I think I may try a dandelion soup with chives from a recipe I found on Chefs Consortium – it looks lovely and sophisticated. Once I uncover my garden from its lasagna garden layering and let the sun shine through, I will surely have purslane and that often makes a nice little side salad.

The anticipation that accompanies Spring is sometimes overwhelming, no?

Officially it’s Spring but it’s still cold outside, and I haven’t seen the self-serve spinach stand pop up at Eger Brothers (corner of 23rd/9/10 just outside of Hudson). However, it feels like things are really heating up, at least online.

If you haven’t yet bought your Easter candy, head now to Vasilow’s Confectionery, who recently had a nice feature in the Daily Freeman. I’m always torn between the malt balls and the great variety of licorice…

Haven’t you been curious about Verdigris’ former space at South 3rd? Michael Davis of 3FortySeven gives us the scoop on what’s been happening inside the future Fish & Game.

And while Zak Pelaccio and Lady Jayne are working out the details on Fish & Game restaurant, he wrote a great guide to eating and doing in Hudson.